Disposable absorbent articles are provided with a fastening means to form a closure of so-called open type absorbent articles when in use or to adjust the dimension of the waist circumference of so-called pull-on type absorbent articles. Such fastening means have been typically provided in the form of a fastening member comprising a substrate and a fastening material provided on the substrate. The fastening member has a manufacture end which is used to join the fastening member to the absorbent articles and a user end which is used for intended purpose of the fastening member. The fastening material comprising, e.g., at least one of the hook and loop component is positioned on the user end of the fastening member. In conventional fastening members, as only one piece of the fastening material is often provided on the user end of one fastening member, the fastening material on the user end sometimes disengages from the opposite fastening material provided on the other part of the absorbent article. Such disengagement of the fastening material on the user end is caused by the force exerted to the edge of the fastening material which is easily transmitted into the entire region of the fastening material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,205 issued to Hisada et al. on Dec. 22, 1998 discloses a disposable undergarment having a tape fastener. The tape fastener includes a relatively soft base substrate extending laterally outwardly from a transverse side edge of the undergarment, relatively rigid fastening panel members provided at longitudinally spaced apart locations of the base substrate, and an adhesive region provided between the fastening panel members. It is stated that, even if one of the spaced apart fastening panel members, for example, the one provided in the proximity of the free end of the base substrate is unintentionally disengaged from the fastening region, the other one provided in the proximity of the base end of the base substrate will not be affected by the disengaging force exerted on the fastening panel member provided in the proximity of the free end of the base substrate. However, because the base substrate comprises one piece of the material, it is impossible to differentiate properties of the base substrate from a portion to a portion with respect to, e.g., stiffness and/or stretchability. Further, this publication does not disclose any method for effectively forming a plurality of pairs of fastening members, each fastening member comprising a panel and a tab having fastening materials spacedly positioned.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,373 issued to VanGompel et al. on Feb. 29, 2000 discloses multi-attachment fastening system. The user bond portion of the fastening tab includes a leading region and at least one trailing region thereof. The leading region is separated from the trailing region by a substantially non-securing spacing section. The securing means such as hook components are provided on the leading region and the trailing region. However, in this publication, the securing means is provided on the entirety of the leading region not to provide any spacing section at the leading edge of the leading region. Therefore, the leading edge of the leading region is securely attached to the means receiving the securing means. This inhibits the user from smoothly removing the securing means of the leading edge from the receiving member. Further, this publication does not disclose any method for effectively forming a plurality of pairs of fastening members, each fastening member comprising a panel and a tab having fastening materials spacedly positioned.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for a method for effectively forming a plurality of pairs of fastening members, each fastening member comprising a base panel and a tab having fastening materials spacedly positioned. There is a also a need for a fastening material having a tab with regions of different properties. There is also a need for a fastening material having a tab with a grasp portion. None of the existing absorbent articles provides all of the advantages and benefits of the present invention.